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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. suit — clothes
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — help
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com